Rebeca Serrano

Javier Moron
Estrella Chavelo
Jose De Alberto
WASTEWATER TREATMENT ACTIVITY
1) What is a skimmer?
a) A skimmer is a mechanical process (also called rake) consists of skimming the water
surface to get rid of fat, oils, and greases that float on top. This process takes place
during primary treatment
2) What is an activated sludge and where is it produced?
a) Activated sludge is the name for wastewater to which air is added to stimulate
microorganism growth. These microorganisms further degrade any remaining organic
material in water. This process being in the sewers on the way to the treatment plant.
Activated sludge is dark and muddy, rich in bacteria and protozoan
3) Where are biosolids produced and what can be done with them?
a) When sludge is sent to machines called digesters, more bacteria breaks it down
reducing volume, odor and other harmful organisms. The remaining material is
processed through a drying belt and this is the biosolids, Biosolids can be used as
fertilizer, send to the landfill, used to make compost for lawn and garden use.

Primary treatment:
First the water enters raw into the fabric, then passes through the bar screens in
which is removed all the garbage with protects pumps and rotating mechanisms. Then
pass to a grit chamber, where all heavy solids sink to the bottom. From the grit chamber
go to the primary clarifier in which slow the wastewater so that heavier organics fall to
the bottom is mainly used to let solids and larger particles fall out of the wastewater.
The oils and fats stay on the top and then go to digester where is removed. After top
and bottom is removed, we jump to the next step.
Secondary treatment: When we use biological processes is the secondary treatment.
The water goes to another chamber where the air flows and promotes the growth of
some microorganisms that helps in the elimination of organic material. This process is
called activated sludge. Then it goes to the second clarifier where some water goes back
to the airing chamber and the garbage goes to the digester again. Then it splits in two
parts. The first part goes to chlorination in which we reduce the number of bacteria,
chlorine meets treated water long enough to do this. Furthermore, it has the beneficial
side effect of dissolving solids to settle out of the wastewater.

Rebeca Serrano
Javier Moron
Estrella Chavelo
Jose De Alberto
Dechlorination is the following process, the deliberated removal of chlorine to avoid
toxic effect on organisms in the receiving stream. At this point the treated water can be
pumped back into a stream or river.
In some treatment plants, wastewater is treated chemically, physically, or
biologically in tertiary treatment. One example of chemical tertiary treatment is the
addition of alum to precipitate phosphorus and settle other solids. On the other hand,
physical tertiary treatment can be the use of sand filters to reduce the amount of solids.
Finally, water movement through wetlands is an example of biological tertiary
treatment, as plants can naturally get rid of remaining waste material.
The last step is reintroducing the water into the river stream, this treated water is
called effluent; biomonitoring is used to analyze the effect of effluent water on
downstream flora and fauna.